Insulation-cutter.



L. GENIN.

INSULATION CUTTER.

APPLICATION mso SEPT. 23. 1914.

1,157,214. l Patented 00t.19,191`5.

LEON GENIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

INSULATION C`UTTER.

Application filed September 23, 1914. i Serial No. 863,082.

Z'o ZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, LEON GENIN, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inInsulation-Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a new and improved t-ool for slitting orcutting the fabric insulation or 'covering on electric circuit wires. Inconnecting up such wires to generator poles, thev binding screws ofdistributing heads, and otherwise, it is frequently necessary to stripthe insulation from the end portion of the wire so as to expose thenaked wire for metal Contact.

The object of the present invention is toL provide a simple. cheap andeicient tool for longitudinally slitting the insulation so that it maybe readilv peeled off the wire and laid back, or torn off and discarded.

Another Objectis to provide a tool of the character mentioned welladapted to operate upon insulated wires of different diameters.

The tool of my invention, its mode of operation and its advantages Willbe clear from the following description, when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawing, w-herein I have fully illustrated onepractical mechanical form in Which the invention may be embodied, andreferring thereto- Figure 1 is a perspective side and plan view of my`improved insulation cutter, with a portion of the insulated wire shownin dotted lines in a position to be acted upon by the cutter. Fig. 2 isa longitudinal verticalsection, showing the blade in side elevation, andclearly illustrating the manner and means of mounting and adjusting theblade. Fig. 3 is a horizontal longitudinal section, on the line 3 3 ofFig. 2, of the complete tool. Fig. -1 is a somewhat enlarged front endview. Fig. 5 is a detail, in inner side elevation, of the forward end ofone of the parallel blade-clamping strips, more particularly showing thechamfered edge thereof` which forms one half of the guide groove for thewire. Fig. 6 is a top plan view. partly in horizontal section, of thecompletetool, with the parallel strips separated and the fastening andadjusting devices of the blade partially withdrawn to illustrate themode of assembling the device. Referring to the drawings, 10 designatesSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

each of a pair of flat, parallel 'metal strips that are conveniently,and as herein shown, formed by doubling a single flat strip upon itselfin such a manner as to create at the inner ends of the strips anintegral. rounded spring base or connector l1. The strips 10, on eitherside of their forward lower corners, are chamfered or beveled on theirinner opposed sides, as shown at 12, thereby forming between saidchamfered surfaces a groove of substantially V-shapein cross section,which groove preferably extends somewhat inwardly and upwardly of thelower front corner of the strips.

13 designates a cutter blade that is adapted to be clamped between theparallel strips 10, said blade being preferably pivoted at its rear endon a clamp screw 14, and has its forward lower edge and free end portionbeveled and sharpened to` provide a cutting edge 15, which cutting edge,as best shown in Fig. 4, is located midway of the groove formed by thechamfered surfaces 12 of the' clamping strips. This blade is securelyclamped by means of a short bolt 16 passing through the strips l0 andthe blade, and having on one end a milled head 17, and on its otherthreaded end a wing nut 18, by turning which latter the clamping strips10 can be drawn tightly upon the blade 13.

In order that the tool may be veasily adjustable to operate upon wiresof different diameters, I have provided a simple means for readilyadjusting the depth of the cutting edge 15 relatively to the guidegroove in which it is located, such adjusting means, asherein shown,being combined with the forward clamp. The blade 13 is formed with aslot 19, and fast on the bolt 16 is an eccentric 20 that, in theassembled position of the parts, lies wit-hin the slot 19 of the blade,as most clearly shown in F iff. 2. The bolt head 17 takes the form of amilled nut mounted upon a squared end 21 of the bolt (Fig. 3). whichsquared end is then riveted down, as shown at 22. From this it4 Will beseen that to adjust the blade it is necessary only to slightly back offthe clamp nut 18, whereupon the eccentric 20 can be turned in eitherdirection by the milled nut 17, to

either lower or raise the cutting edge of the blade relatively to theguide groove in which it operates, and when the blade has been adjusted,it is securely clamped by again tightening up the nut 18.

Fig. 5 illustrates the manner in which the loo blade can be applied toand removed from the holder. When the clamping devices are loosened orwithdrawn, the members of the holder occupy substantially the relativepositions shown in Fig. 5, by virtue of the spring base or connector1,1, in which position of the parts the blade 13 can be readily insertedor withdrawn.

In the use of the device, the knife blade having been adjusted' to theproper depth, the grooved forward end of the tool is engaged with thewire to be stripped, as indicated in Figs. land 4, and the tool isdrawn, under a light pressure on the wire, lengthwise of the latter.This causes the `forward end of the sharp edge of the blade to penetrateand obvious manner, after which the insulation can be laid back,exposing the wire, and readily cut or torn oil if necessary. It will beobserved that the strips 10 form a combined blade holder and handle, and,that their chamfered, lower, forward edges also constitute a guide tohold the vtool in proper engagement with the wire during the cutting orslitting operation.

It will be evident to those familiar with the art thatthe device-may bemodified in various particulars without involving any lsubstantialchange of structure, functions or capabilities therein. Hence theinvention is to be understood as bounded only by the scope of theappended claims.

I claim: l

l. An insulation cutter comprising a pair of parallel strips lforming acombined blade holder and handle and having their edges chamfered ontheir inner opposed sides at one end to form a guide groove, a bladepivotally mounted between said strips with its cutting edge lying insaid groove, and means for clamping said strips on said blade.

2. An insulation cutter comprising a pair of parallel strips forming acombined blade holder and handle and having their edges l chamferedon'their inner opposed sides at one end to form a guide groove, a bladedisslit the insulation in anv -4 posed'between said strips with itscutting edge lying in said groove, means for adjusting the depth of saidcutting edge relatively to said groove, and means for clamping saidstrips on said blade.

3. An insulation cutter comprising a pair of parallel/strips forming acombined blade holder and handle and having their edges chamfered ontheir'inner opposed sides at one end-to form a guide groove, a bladepivotally mountedat itsrear end between said strips with its forwardcutting edge lying inl said groove, means foradjusting the depth of saidcutting edge relatively to said groove, and means for clamping saidblade between said strips.

4. An insulation cutter comprising a pair of parallel strips forming acombined blade holder and handle and having their edges chamfered ontheir inner lopposed sides to form a guide groove, a slotted bladepivotally-mounted 'at its rear end between said strips with its forwardcutting edge lying in said groove, a cam mounted in the slot of saidblade, means for turnin said cam whereby to adjust the depth ofL.idcutting edge relatively to said groove, and means for clamping saidblade between said strips.

5. An insulation cutter comprising-a pair of parallel strips forming acombined blade holder and handle arid having their edges chamfered ontheir inner opposed sidesat one end to form a guide groove, a slottedblade pivoted at its rear end between said' strips with its forwardcutting edge lying in said groove, a bolt extending through said stripsand the slot of said blade, a cam fast on said bolt and engaging saidslot whereby to adjust the depth of said cutting edge relatively tosaidA groove, a clamp nut having threaded engagement with vone end ofsaid bolt, and a' cam-shifting nut fast on the others end of said bolt.

- LEON GENIN.

Witnesses:

Ro'r. A. Le, A. J. JOHNSON.

